stinsonbr

Got the classic wabble between 55 and 60 mpg like clockwork, and I really dont want it to grow into our friend the death wabble. My track bar is fine on the passenger side...but is this side the culprit?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bawMy...ature=youtu.be

inarschenk

That is the exact place where my DW occurred. I replaced that track bar with an adjustable Iron Rock track bar and steering stabilizer (dampner) and ended up getting some new tires/alignment all at the same time to make sure it was fixed. Sure enough, no DW now! goodluck with your DW.. I took my jeep to a local alignment shop recommended by a local 4x4 shop. The 4x4 shop said they always recommend DW issues to go an alignment shop for them to diagnose where the culprit is first. I paid them to diagnose then I did the repair and gave it back to them for the alignment and new tires.

stinsonbr

Was it difficult to remove? I know I need a pickle fork, but i dont know what size would work best

Gee oh Dee

A pickle fork isn't 100% necessary, but it'd help.

If your going with iron rock they provide a new bracket, so that doesn't need to be separated.

Either way, a trac bar that uses a dfferent style connection would be better.

For the vid, it may be the trac bar, but it doesn't look like too much play there. Maybe the other side is worse.

Why's your XJ sound like a diesel?

stinsonbr

I was under the impression that there should be absolutely no play on either end of it?

How would I go about changing the bar to one with a different end?

The diesel sound is quite peculiar. I'm guessing its the lifters, and I got some oil additive to hopefully bump up the pressure. If that doesn't help then maybe I'll use some thicker oil. Or maybe the timing chain?

Gee oh Dee

Their will be a minimal amount of play, but your right. Not much movement should happen.

Maybe it was the pic on my phone screen, but it just looked like there was more movement from your diff than that end of the trac bar showed.

It could just be the other end, who knows.


As for switching to a bushing style joint, unbolt the frame side bracket (3 bolts), bolt up new bracket, bolt up new trac bar.

The factory setup you have is limiting in travel. The joint you pictured in the video is a tie rod end style joint, what you want is for the trac bar to have joints like the axle side end. Iron Rock Offroad is a common one used by several folks, myself included.

inarschenk

I thought it was difficult to remove. I beat and beat on it and it was hard to release. I would highly recommend getting a pickle fork. I borrowed it from a local O'reilly auto parts store.

Gee oh Dee

I'd Just swap to a new bracket. Never have to deal with the tre style joint again.

The other style is just a bolt thru a bushing. Anything goes bad, $10 bushing $5 bolt. Not a whole trac bar or tre.

stinsonbr

So my girlfriend manned the wheel while I lay under the front, and she moved the steering back and forth while I inspected everything I could. Everything seemed to be fixed, except for the track bar in the video, and the differential moved back and forth a bit as well. In addition, the steering box had a knock coming from it when the transition was made (left to right, or right to left). I know there are a couple of gears in there and not much else, is that something I could fix easily, or a cheap part? Assuming of course that something is wrong in the first place.

mr white

lol @ wabble.

chipmaker

By the way the diff. was moving,I'd be checking my control arm bushings. Just my two pennies

Gee oh Dee

The diff will move if the trac bar ends are bad. The control arms aren't triangulated enough to keep the axle centered on their own, thus the need for the trac bar. The axle will move back and forth if the trac bar is bad.

If your steering box is popping you may have a bad spacer, which is actually common. It may also be causing issues with steering.

Its behind the box, between the box and frame. Check for cracking there as well.